WO2011034426A1 - Carrousel de traitement de bétail - Google Patents

Carrousel de traitement de bétail Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2011034426A1
WO2011034426A1 PCT/NL2010/050601 NL2010050601W WO2011034426A1 WO 2011034426 A1 WO2011034426 A1 WO 2011034426A1 NL 2010050601 W NL2010050601 W NL 2010050601W WO 2011034426 A1 WO2011034426 A1 WO 2011034426A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
stall
livestock
feed container
platform
relative
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/NL2010/050601
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Petrus Adrianus Jacobus Schouten
Original Assignee
Petrus Adrianus Jacobus Schouten
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Petrus Adrianus Jacobus Schouten filed Critical Petrus Adrianus Jacobus Schouten
Priority to EP10760784.8A priority Critical patent/EP2477481B1/fr
Priority to DK10760784.8T priority patent/DK2477481T3/da
Publication of WO2011034426A1 publication Critical patent/WO2011034426A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K1/00—Housing animals; Equipment therefor
    • A01K1/12—Milking stations
    • A01K1/126—Carousels

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a livestock treatment carousel for facilitating the treatment of a plurality of livestock animals.
  • the livestock animals that can be treated in such a carousel according to the invention may be of various kinds, such as cows, goats, sheep, horses, swine, ostrich, and the like.
  • the treatments that can be performed using such a carousel according to the invention may be of various kinds, such as milking, pregnancy checks, insemination, medication, vaccination, or the like.
  • a livestock treatment carousel according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from practice.
  • This known carousel is for milking cows and is operated as follows. One by one, the cows enter a ringshaped livestock receiving area from the outside thereof and each cow assumes its treatment position in a stall. In this treatment position the cow is received in its respective stall with its head facing away from the vertical rotation axis and its hindquarters facing towards the vertical rotation axis. Milking is performed from the inside of the ringshaped receiving area. Once being milked, a cow can leave its stall via the outside of the ringshaped receiving area. During all this, the horizontal platform is rotating about its vertical rotation axis.
  • Each stall is provided with a corresponding feed container at the stall's outer stall end facing away from the vertical rotation axis of the platform.
  • These feed containers serve, amongst others, as an animal- friendly way of stimulating the cows to enter and/or leave their stalls. That is, before entering its stall a cow will expect that there is a full feed container waiting for it, while the feeding dosis may be such that the feed container is empty when it is time for the cow to leave its stall.
  • feeding the cows serves to stimulate the milk delivery from the udders of the cow. Said entering and leaving the stalls is done via the outer stall ends of the stalls.
  • the stalls are relatively wide since they have to be wide enough for the cow to enter and leave such a stall via its stall outer end without being hindered by the presence of the feed container at that stall outer end.
  • a drawback of this known carousel is that it is relatively inefficient in the sense that its dimensions are relatively large as compared to the number of cows that can be received in it simultaneously.
  • EP1733615A1 Another livestock treatment carousel according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from EP1733615A1.
  • the fence structure of this known carousel comprises a number of gates 3.
  • Each gate 3 is rotatable relative to the platform 2 of the carousel.
  • the gates 3 are rotatable around an axis located near the outer periphery of the platform.
  • the gates 3 are rotatable around an axis located near the inner periphery of the platform.
  • the gates 3 are defining a plurality of mutually adjacent stalls being arranged in a herringbone pattern along the platform.
  • a gate 3 has to rotate relative to the platform, i.e. in clockwise direction in the Fig. 1 embodiment and in anti-clockwise direction in the Fig. 2 embodiment.
  • stall shapes are temporarily changing, since the stall shapes evidently are defined by the positions of the gates 3.
  • the herringbone pattern and the many and relatively large moving gates 3 entail a relatively space-inefficient accommodation of the livestock animals on the platform, a relatively complex structure of the carousel and an unsafe environment for operators and animals.
  • a further drawback, resulting from the moveability of the gates 3, is that one or more animals, while being stalled on the rotating platform, may undesirably move one or more of the gates, e.g. to create more space in their stalls or e.g. in case of fear or panic of the animals.
  • GB1201651A Yet another livestock treatment carousel according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from GB1201651A, which carousel in many respects is similar to that of the abovementioned document EP1733615A1.
  • the carousel known from GB1201651A also has gates which are rotatable relative to the platform of the carousel. Feed troughs are fixed to these moveable gates and are pivoted together with the gates. The gates again define a herringbone pattern.
  • the carousel known from GB1201651A has drawbacks similar to those mentioned above for EP1733615A1.
  • the invention provides a livestock treatment carousel for facilitating the treatment of a plurality of livestock animals, said carousel comprising:
  • a substantially horizontal platform being rotatable, relative to earth's surface, about a substantially vertical rotation axis, at least part of the platform forming a livestock receiving area which is ringshaped around said rotation axis, is rotatable together with the platform and is arranged for simultaneously receiving a plurality of livestock animals;
  • - is arranged for receiving a livestock animal
  • - is provided with a corresponding feed container, rotatable together with said respective stall, and arranged for feeding a livestock animal when the livestock animal is in a treatment position in which it is received in said respective stall with its head facing away from said rotation axis and its hindquarters facing towards said rotation axis;
  • each respective feed container is arranged in a moveable manner relative to its corresponding stall such that, during rotation of the platform, the position of the respective feed container relative to its corresponding stall interchangeably moves between:
  • the carousel may be designed with a decreased width of the stalls, thus allowing more stalls to be present on the same surface area of the ringshaped receiving area.
  • said moveability provides the advantage that in the feeding position the accommodation space for an animal in a stall is relatively restricted which promotes a proper treatment position of an animal in a stall in the sense that the animal's hindquarters are relatively close to the inner stall end and thus properly accessible for receiving treatment, while in the unblocking position the walking space in a stall is relatively large which facilitates manoeuvering of an animal when the animal walks on the platform.
  • Said moveability of each respective feed container relative to its corresponding stall may be realized by means of various movement mechanisms and/or drive mechanisms, such as by means of electric motor(s), hydraulics, pneumatics, etcetera.
  • GB1201651A are temporarily moving relative to the platform, whereby the shapes of the corresponding stalls are temporarily changing. The reason is, as already discussed above, that the stall shapes evidently are defined by the positions of the gates.
  • each respective feed container moves from its feeding position into its unblocking position for letting a livestock animal enter said corresponding stall and, at another point in time during that same single rotation cycle of the platform, moves again from its feeding position into its unblocking position, but then for letting a livestock animal leave said corresponding stall.
  • said stalls are defined by fences of the fence structure, wherein each fence is fixedly attached to the platform and extends substantially in vertical direction and substantially in radial direction relative to the vertical axis.
  • each fence is fixedly attached to the platform, i.e. not pivotable relative to the platform of the carousel.
  • the gates known from the two documents EP1733615A1 and GB1201651A discussed above are in fact pivotable relative to the platform of the carousel.
  • the thus fixedly attached fences of such a preferable embodiment of the present invention provide a relatively simple structure of the carousel and a safe environment for operators and animals.
  • a further advantage, resulting from the fixedly attached fences is that the animals, while being stalled on the rotating platform, can not undesirably move the fences, e.g. to create more space in their stalls or e.g. in case of fear or panic of the animals.
  • each respective feed container is suspended relative to its corresponding stall in such manner that gravity exerts a resultant force on the respective feed container, which resultant force is pushing the respective feed container from its feeding position into its unblocking position, and
  • said moveability of each respective feed container relative to its corresponding stall is realized in that the suspension means comprises for each respective feed container a corresponding inclined rotation axis having an inclined angle relative to the vertical direction for thus realizing said exertion by gravity of said resultant force.
  • the resistance mechanism comprises a guiding structure which is substantially fixedly arranged relative to earth's surface and which extends in circumferential direction of the carousel in such manner that it guides the feed containers to automatically interchange during rotation of the platform between their feeding positions and their unblocking positions.
  • the fence structure comprises livestock passageways for allowing a livestock animal to make a U-turn at the livestock receiving area in the sense that the livestock animal, while forwardly walking, subsequently enters one of the stalls via the
  • Fig. 1 shows, in view from above, an example of an embodiment of a livestock treatment carousel according to the invention.
  • Fig. 2 shows, in view from above, part of the carousel of Fig. 1 in a first rotation position of the platform of the carousel, together with some cows.
  • Fig. 3 similarly shows the part of the carousel of Fig. 2 in a second, slightly further rotated, rotation position of the platform.
  • Fig. 4 similarly shows the part of the carousel of Fig. 3 in a third, still slightly further rotated, rotation position of the platform.
  • Fig. 5 shows, in view from above, examples of embodiments of a feed container, a suspension means and a resistance mechanism used in the shown carousel.
  • Fig. 6 shows an example of an embodiment of a stall used in the shown carousel, in a side view onto a vertical and radial cross- sectional plane of the shown carousel.
  • the figures show a livestock treatment carousel 1.
  • the carousel 1 is used for milking cows.
  • the carousel 1 may also be used for various other treatments of various other livestock animals.
  • the carousel 1 comprises a horizontal platform 2 which is rotatable, relative to earth's surface, about a vertical rotation axis 3 indicated in Fig. 1.
  • the rotation directions are indicated by arrows 15.
  • the rotation directions may be clockwise, as shown, but may also be
  • the platform is a livestock receiving area 2 which is ringshaped around the rotation axis 3.
  • the milking of the cows is performed from a space 14 which is enclosed by the
  • this enclosed space 14 is not part of the platform 2, so an operator or farmer in the space 14 will not rotate together with the platform.
  • the enclosed space 14 is part of the rotatable platform, in which cases an operator or farmer in the space 14 will rotate together with the platform.
  • the carousel 1 further comprises a fence structure 4 rotatable together with the platform and defining at and above the ringshaped receiving area 2 a plurality of mutually adjacent stalls.
  • the fence structure comprises fences, see Figs. 1 and 6, each of which is fixedly attached to the platform 2 and extends substantially in vertical direction and in radial direction relative to the vertical axis 3.
  • Fig. 1 shows that the carousel 1 has fourty such stalls, of which for simplicity only ten are indicated with reference numerals (Nos. I-X).
  • alternative embodiments are possible in which the carousel has a different number of stalls.
  • Each respective stall is situated at and above a ringsegment of the ringshaped livestock receiving area 2, is rotatable together with the platform 2, is arranged for receiving a cow, has an inner stall end 5 facing towards said rotation axis 3 and an opposite outer stall end 6 facing away from said rotation axis 3. Via the outer stall end 6 a cow can enter and leave the concerned stall. Entering directions are indicated by arrows 16, while leaving directions are indicated by arrows 17.
  • Each respective stall is provided with a corresponding feed container 7.
  • these feed containers 7 are not shown in Fig. 1.
  • Each feed container is rotatable together with its corresponding stall, and is arranged for feeding a cow when the cow is in its treatment position in which it is received in a stall with its head facing away from the rotation axis 3 and its hindquarters facing towards the rotation axis 3.
  • the cows B, C, D, W and X are in their treatment positions.
  • Each respective feed container 7 is arranged in a moveable manner relative to its corresponding stall such that, during rotation of the platform 2, the position of the respective feed container relative to its corresponding stall interchangeably moves between a feeding position in which the respective feed container 7 is at least partly situated at or near the outer stall end 6 of its corresponding stall for said feeding the cow in its treatment position, and an unblocking position in which, relative to the feeding position, at least part of the respective feed container 7 has moved away from its corresponding stall to one of the stalls that is adjacent to its corresponding stall for at least partly unblocking the way for the cow for entering and leaving the corresponding stall.
  • a feeding position in which the respective feed container 7 is at least partly situated at or near the outer stall end 6 of its corresponding stall for said feeding the cow in its treatment position
  • an unblocking position in which, relative to the feeding position, at least part of the respective feed container 7 has moved away from its corresponding stall to one of the stalls that is adjacent to its corresponding stall for at
  • the feed containers 7 of stalls I, II, III, VIII, IX and X are in their feeding positions, while the feed containers 7 of stalls IV and VI are in their unblocking positions.
  • the feed container 7 of stall IV has moved to adjacent stall V, so that stall V contains two feed containers simultaneously, i.e. the feed container 7 of stall IV as well as the feed container 7 of stall V itselves.
  • the feed container 7 of stall VI has moved to adjacent stall VII, so that stall VII contains two feed containers
  • each respective feed container 7 said moveability of each respective feed container 7 relative to its corresponding stall is realized in that the carousel 1 further comprises suspension means 8 by which each respective feed container is suspended relative to its corresponding stall in such manner that gravity exerts a resultant force on the respective feed container, which resultant force is pushing the respective feed container from its feeding position into its unblocking position, and a resistance mechanism 9 which, in dependence of the rotation position of the platform 2, selectively resists said resultant force for keeping the respective feed container 7 in its feeding position, or at least partly does not resist said resultant force for allowing the respective feed container 7 to move from its feeding position into its unblocking position.
  • the suspension means 8 and the resistance mechanism 9 are best shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
  • the suspension means 8 comprises a pair of struts 18 fixedly connected to a fence of the fence structure 4, as well as a pair of strut structures 19 fixedly connected to the feed container 7.
  • the pair of strut structures 19 is pivotable relative to the pair of struts 18 about a rotation axis 10.
  • the pivoting directions about this rotation axis 10 are indicated by double arrow 25 in Fig. 5.
  • the rotation axis 10 has an inclined angle relative to the vertical direction for thus realizing said exertion by gravity of said resultant force.
  • This inclined angle can be relatively small and, for reasons of simplicity, the inclined angle has not been shown in Fig. 6.
  • the working principle behind the gravity controlled movement behaviour of the feed container 7 is similar to the working principle based upon which a door in a door frame having an imperfection in the directions of its vertical pivots tends to move in a particular pivot position.
  • the resistance mechanism comprises a guiding structure which is substantially fixedly arranged relative to earth's surface and which extends in circumferential direction of the carousel 1 in such manner that it guides the feed containers 7 to automatically
  • this guiding structure is formed by tubes 9 (shown in all figures) which are fixedly connected to a further fence structure 24 (see Fig. 6), which further fence structure 24 is fixedly attached relative to earth's surface and hence does not rotate together with the platform 2.
  • a bar 20 is fixedly connected to the feed container 7.
  • the bar 20 holds a roller 21 on a free end of the bar 20.
  • the bar 20 and the roller 21 are arranged such that the roller 21 may have rolling contact with the tubes 9.
  • various other types of guiding structures are possible, such as guiding rails, or the like.
  • Fig. 2 shows the first rotation position of the platform 2 of the carousel 1.
  • the cows B, C, D, W and X are in their treatment positions in the stalls III, II, I, X, IX, respectively.
  • cow A is leaving its stall IV via the outer stall end 6 of the stall IV.
  • the tube 9 is interrupted at the cow exit location of the carousel, while the feed container 7 of stall IV is in its unblocking position, it has moved to adjacent stall V.
  • cow Y is entering the stall VI via the outer stall end 6 of the stall VI.
  • the tube 9 is also interrupted at the cow entrance location of the carousel, while the feed container 7 of stall VI is in its unblocking position, it has moved to adjacent stall VII.
  • Fig. 3 shows the second rotation position of the platform 2 of the carousel 1. Relative to the first rotation position of Fig. 2, in the second rotation position of Fig. 3 the platform 2 has rotated in the direction of arrow 15 over an angular distance corresponding to half the width of a stall.
  • cow A has fully left stall IV
  • cow Y has fully entered stall VI and is performing a U-turn. That is, cow Y is bending via two livestock passageways 12 (see Fig. 6) and via the neighbouring stalls VI, VII and VIII with the purpose to end up in its treatment position in stall VIII.
  • cow Z has arrived at the entrance location of the carousel, while cow B will be able to leave stall III soon.
  • Fig. 4 shows the third rotation position of the platform 2 of the carousel 1. Relative to the second rotation position of Fig. 3, in the third rotation position of Fig. 4 the platform 2 has rotated in the direction of arrow 15 over an angular distance corresponding to half the width of a stall. At the shown moment cow Y has reached its treatment position in stall VIII. Note, that it is a further advantage of the invention that the feeding position of the feed container 7 in stall VIII prevents the cow Y, when it has arrived in stall VIII, to walk too far ahead in the direction of the outer stall end 6 of stall VIII.
  • the feeding position of the feed container 7 thus serves to promote a proper treatment position of the cow in its stall so that the cow's hindquarters are close enough to the inner stall end 5.
  • the cow's udder will be in proper reach of the milker.
  • cow B is leaving its stall III via the outer stall end 6 of the stall III, and cow Z is entering the stall V via the outer stall end 6 of the stall V.
  • the guiding tubes 9, as seen in view from above, have local extra deflections near their ends at the entrance and exit locations of the carousel. This is for example shown at the locations indicated by reference numerals 39 in Figs. 1 and 5. Such local deflections serve to promote a smooth movement behaviour of the feed container when moving from the feeding position towards the unblocking position. Such local deflections furthermore serve to effectively pick-up a feed container in its unblocking position and to smoothly guide the picked-up feed container towards the feeding position.
  • the platform 2 may rotate continuously. However, it is also possible that the platform may be stopped now and then during operation. Cows that have entered the carousel 1 may remain in the carousel for one rotation cycle. However, it is also possible that cows may (selectively) remain in the carousel for two or more rotation cycles.
  • the carousel may optionally have additional means for controlling that at the entrance and/or exit locations of the carousel the feed containers are (selectively) prevented from moving from their feeding positions into their unblocking positions. Also, the carousel may comprise various means for filling the feed containers.
  • each bar 20 of the carousel may then be easily increased in length, thus guaranteeing that the hindquarters of the animals are close to the inner stall ends 5 for facilitating the treatment of the animals.
  • each bar 20 of the carousel may then be easily decreased in length.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Animal Husbandry (AREA)
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
  • Feeding And Watering For Cattle Raising And Animal Husbandry (AREA)
  • Housing For Livestock And Birds (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un carrousel de traitement de bétail, qui comprend une plateforme rotative (2) comportant une pluralité de stalles mutuellement adjacentes (I-X). Un animal de bétail (A-Z) peut entrer dans une stalle et quitter celle-ci par l'intermédiaire d'une extrémité de stalle externe (6) s'éloignant de l'axe de rotation (3) de la plateforme. Chaque stalle comporte un récipient d'alimentation (7) agencé de façon à alimenter un animal dans une position de traitement dans laquelle l'animal est reçu dans la stalle avec ses pattes arrière dirigées vers l'axe de rotation. Chaque récipient d'alimentation est agencé d'une manière mobile par rapport à sa stalle, de telle sorte que, durant la rotation de la plateforme, la position du récipient d'alimentation par rapport à sa stalle se déplace de façon interchangeable entre une position d'alimentation et une position de déblocage.
PCT/NL2010/050601 2009-09-17 2010-09-17 Carrousel de traitement de bétail WO2011034426A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP10760784.8A EP2477481B1 (fr) 2009-09-17 2010-09-17 Carrousel de traitement de bétail
DK10760784.8T DK2477481T3 (da) 2009-09-17 2010-09-17 Karrusel til behandling af husdyrbestand

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL2003503 2009-09-17
NL2003503A NL2003503C2 (en) 2009-09-17 2009-09-17 Livestock treatment carousel.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2011034426A1 true WO2011034426A1 (fr) 2011-03-24

Family

ID=42077966

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/NL2010/050601 WO2011034426A1 (fr) 2009-09-17 2010-09-17 Carrousel de traitement de bétail

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2477481B1 (fr)
DK (1) DK2477481T3 (fr)
NL (1) NL2003503C2 (fr)
WO (1) WO2011034426A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL2027521B1 (nl) 2021-02-08 2022-09-09 Kannes B V Melkstalinrichting, alsmede tepelbekermanipuleerinrichting.
CN115024233B (zh) * 2022-05-30 2023-05-12 北京工业大学 一种主动驱赶乳畜动物挤奶的挤奶厅

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1201651A (en) 1967-05-19 1970-08-12 Charles John Reeve Improvements in or relating to milking parlours
EP1733615A1 (fr) 2005-06-15 2006-12-20 DeLaval Holding AB Manège de traite rotatif

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1201651A (en) 1967-05-19 1970-08-12 Charles John Reeve Improvements in or relating to milking parlours
EP1733615A1 (fr) 2005-06-15 2006-12-20 DeLaval Holding AB Manège de traite rotatif

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP2477481A1 (fr) 2012-07-25
DK2477481T3 (da) 2013-08-19
EP2477481B1 (fr) 2013-07-17
NL2003503C2 (en) 2011-03-21

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP2642846B1 (fr) Salle de traite pour animaux
US20060254523A1 (en) Milking Parlor for the Forward Straight Line Animal Ambulation and Individual Presentation of an Animal to be Milked in a Milking Stall Located Intermediate a Holding Area and a Release Area
EP2375886B1 (fr) Salle de traite rotative pour la traite d'animaux
US8651050B2 (en) Automatic animal retrieving platform assembly
US10136615B2 (en) Milking stall
US9485958B2 (en) Facility for handling lactating animals and method of operating same
US6814026B2 (en) Milking parlor and method for individually presenting animals to be milked via a translating shuttle stall
US7055458B2 (en) System for the presentation of animals to be milked and method
US8171881B2 (en) Milking facility and method for milking therein
US20120216748A1 (en) System and Method for Using Robots in Conjunction With a Rotary Milking Platform
EP2477481B1 (fr) Carrousel de traitement de bétail
CN108882694B (zh) 用于对一组动物挤奶的挤奶模块，挤奶装置和方法
US8291859B2 (en) Arrangement for positioning milking animals in a milking parlour
EP0635204A1 (fr) Dispositif de traite automatique d'animaux
EP2838348B1 (fr) Système et méthode d'utilisation de robots conjointement avec une plateforme de traite rotative
EP3340780B1 (fr) Système et procédé pour la traite d'un groupe d'animaux laitiers
US11064674B1 (en) Automatic cow milking device
AU2017208329B2 (en) System and method for using robots in conjunction with a rotary milking platform
EP3340779B1 (fr) Système de traite d'un groupe d'animaux laitiers
NZ624781B2 (en) A rotary parlour arranged to house animals to be milked

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 10760784

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2010760784

Country of ref document: EP